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Heavy responsibilities for elder aunt among the Logooli

With Seenge Fonesi. She is the elder grand daughter of Isagi and elder daughter of Amugasya. She is often present in functions involving the family of Amugasya. Pic taken on 18/4/2024. The elder sister soon becomes the elder aunt. It is this “seenge munene” (elder aunt) tag that she is tied to many cultural responsibilities – back home. To her marital family she may appear as any other woman, but she is not so in the eyes of her people. Marriage does not steal her away as it would happen with other daughters of the old man. To her, as days go and the old man and woman of the estate are dependents, she becomes increasingly present.  Her brothers also need her for almost all traditional markings. They are marrying, she needs to welcome the new wife. They are giving birth, she needs to come to midwife or “bless” the new born. They are paying dowry she needs to lead the women delegate. There is a conflict she needs to come for a hearing.  And many others. Traditions does not expect her to
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FILL THE POT

Filling the pot - during the champions for change week long training at Kisumu, Imperial Hotel

Hello Family, we have just winded a week long boot camp in Kisumu where young people from Eastern, Western and Nyanza counties were challenged to be champions of change on matters Food and Agriculture. The event was courtesy of Africa Lead (USAID) and partners.

True, the African Pot is oftimes empty from the statistics, a majority of people having less than two meals a day. Where nutrition is often not put into consideration. And we end up with bodily defiencies physiologically and psychologically. Effects that cost people and the country in return trying to 'treat'. These disadvantages hinder optimum human activity and we happen to draw back, passive to undertakings that would spur economic growth, replaced with troubled lives, factor to poverty.

From the words of Steve Jobs, _stay hungry stay stupid_ it would then apply that people and communities that do not feed (and satisfy nutritional needs) well are limited in making good out of their lives. It will also apply that those who are food insecure tend to spend most of their time 'chasing' means to have the food. With no or little time for other productive areas and even self times. Man becomes a slave to his little stomach.

That should not be the narrative. The African Pot, as we know, was a friend to the African Gallery. And galleries were food stores. Speak of all the foods that were farmed. Unlike most homes now that depend on market-pot food security a fundamentally failed approach to this basic need - food. Food should not be far. Food should not be 'itemised', food should not be 'exposed to market/business upheavals'. No, not in times of plenty and  agricultural knowledge as these. No, not in this error where humans are challenged by discovery. Food, as air, by our capabilities, should be in plenty.

The boot camp provided us then with key lessons on going about this once back at the counties. At the county level (and nation), the existing policies could as well be supportive to agricultural practice and enterprise. Only poorly implemented. Due to lack of ethical prowess among most of the elite populace. One thing that calls us to advocacy. To advocate that if the policies are limited, better ones be formulated. To advocate on tried and workable ways. To call upon leaders, people of good will, to disseminate agricultural opportunities and knowledge, to have youths and women actively involved as a sustainable way of handling this and for agribusiness purposes, work on the value chains.  In this way, the farmer and the consumer (for those in business) can mutually be of benefit to each other.

In all these, unwavering support and commitment should be put in place. The African Pot is not a part time tool of use but an all day all time utility. For local food sustainable food security means, it is high time that we explored the indigenous agricultural foods at home levels, putting a break on perennial and uniform maize/beans practice. Not to say we do away with them but to look into other beneficial foods that can be of greater gain and value by the needs and dynamics present and perceived. All this in such ways that youths be at the centre, in our case, Saniaga Organization, our model being Parent-Youth partnership to handle insecurities as capital and land use. Saniaga's mission in advocacy and promotion of indigenous knowledge will, by all means, work untiring in seeing respective groups put food security in practise. And no homes, for I have visited many, will have something always at the pot (and table) for them and a visitor. No to hunger.

It was an opportunity that I will for a long time remain greatful to. The interactions and networks that we managed to build in such a short time will make me be a better champion for change and having Saniaga as the forum to see this come to pass, the organization will sooner pride in efforts underway to make Tabu (the hungry child) change to Zawadi (a healthy child with food at his/her disposal) very soon. With efforts to have no other Tabu being born.

-/With Thanks
saniaga.org
saniaga.blogspot.com
info.saniaga@gmail.com

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